The Learner Coach: Surfacing tripartite practice

As the training provider representative in the relationship with apprentices and employer mentors, tripartite practitioners play a key role engaging with learners and mentors across academic and practice settings. This role is distinguished from the learner educator role through the individualised delivery of apprentice development founded on coaching-related practice. So embedded is coaching in some models, in some higher education institutions (HEIs) ‘coach’ has been formalised in role titles. However, models for this are emergent, and, as these roles have not yet coalesced into a singular, formally defined practice, examining their diverse configurations, titles, and impact is important to contextualise specific cases and practices. To consider this divergence, the chapter presents both theoretical and practical discussions of the role, highlighting key themes of dual professionalism, heuristic coaching practice, and inherent tension that traverse practice of the provider representative. By demonstrating how these roles are vital in aligning academic, regulatory, and industry requirements, the chapter illustrates how coaching within the tripartite setting enhances apprentices’ professional and academic growth skill.